Tuned Into Business:

“Crank That (Soulja Boy)” was the breakout hit of 2007, and it doesn’t seem to be losing momentum with time. Yesterday, two worlds collided when Regis and Kelly tried to snap their fingers and move their feet to this tune on Live With Regis and Kelly.

For seven weeks, “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” was a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 list. That may explain Kelly Ripa’s rationale for letting her kids–Lola, 6, and Joaquin, 4–skip school to be on the show. But wait… Kelly was quick to inform viewers that oldest son, Michael, who is 10, was at school.

The Regis and Kelly finale included a dance lesson from teen rapper Soulja Boy. And the kids,  along with several others, joined in for the festivities.

If you’re wondering, “What’s the big deal?” I’ll tell you. This little rapper Soulja Boy (real name DeAndre Way) is a 17-year-old who started out featuring his music as a download from his MySpace page a year ago. Like many boys his age, he was simply having fun dancing and making music from his bedroom. Unlike his peers, he is cashing in on his talent. He’s gone from irritating teachers at South Panola High School in Batesville, Mississippi, to inking a major record deal.

Here’s a snapshot of his success:

• “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” recently received a 2007 Grammy nomination for best rap song.

• The single’s music video has enjoyed 25 million-plus views on YouTube.

• Animated characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Barney and the Simpsons to Winnie the Pooh, Bambi and the Lion King have their own unique version of “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” on YouTube.

• You’ll find people from all walks of life, ages and races uploading their homemade version of “Crank It” on YouTube.

• Realizing that people were trying to learn the dance but that nobody really knew how to do it right, Soulja Boy made his own instructional video. He breaks down each move, and it is almost as popular as the song. It has had about 21 million views since being added to YouTube.

• After opening a YouTube account in January 2006, Soulja Boy has posted more than 100 videos.

• His debut album, “Souljaboytellem.com,” pays homage to his internet roots

• Leaving no stone unturned, he has an online store, Souljaboystore.com. Regis and Kelly were each given a pair of his super-sized, white sunglasses to wear when he was on their show.

• After making beats and songs, he started uploading tracks to SoundClick.com. Positive feedback from other artists led Soulja Boy to borrow a cousin’s camcorder to uploaded videos of himself and friends doing their favorite dances.

• No instruments were involved in the making of “Crank It.â€?

• Atlanta producer Michael Grooms, a.k.a. Mr. Collipark (Ying Yang Twins, Young Jeezy), signed him to a record deal with Interscope, whose roster of superstars includes Sheryl Crow, 50 Cent and Gwen Stefani. Grooms heard about Soulja Boy at the park where his sons play.

• The busy high school senior has been touring with a tutor and will be performing in several cities this year.
• It’s been number one on iTunes and a number-one ringtone.

If you need some new steps or a little extra cardio, you can learn the dance. If you want your 15 minutes of fame on YouTube, upload your homemade video of “Crank It.” Or upgrade your ringtone.

Let me know what you think of this viral internet sensation.

Years ago when Marilu Henner was the host of her own daytime talk show, I was one of her producers. I was looking forward to watching her on the latest installment of Donald Trump’s Apprentice franchise, but I’ve had the flu and missed its debut last Thursday. A few days later I stumbled across a rerun of the show just in time to see the catfight in the boardroom starring Carol Alt, Omarosa and Tiffany Fallon.

Each team was selling hotdogs to raise money for charity. The guys sold $52,000, and the women struggled to bring in $17,000.
Gene Simmons is a smooth operator, so he did what he does best. He called his rich friends. Getting folks to drop thousands of dollars for a hotdog was no big deal for the guys.

The boardroom was pretty predictable. Trump voiced his regret about the failure of Tiffany, a former Playboy Playmate, to call Hugh Hefner for a large donation (duh?). And I think we all knew at that moment how the story was going to end. Tiffany was the first to hear Trump say, “You’re fired!”

Episode 2
Tonight the guys won for their cute Purina commercial. That’s two points for the guys and zero points for the women (sigh). How the women could sit there saying they thought the commercial they produced was better than the guys’ commercial, I’ll never know. Omarosa always has something up her sleeve. She tried to add a little spice to the tiresome boardroom by flirting with Lennox Lewis.

As the camera showed the women sitting around the boardroom table, the sadness on Nadia Comaneci’s face singled her out as tonight’s loser. What happened to this Olympic gold medalist? Clearly she was out of her league and appeared to have run out of steam.

Carol Alt kept tension high in the boardroom. Trump quickly let the model/actress know that she wasn’t getting fired.

Nely Gala’n, who seemed to be skating on thin ice, was overly confident. Nely thinks a lot of herself, and that’s fine. But she never said what she had to offer her team. My advice to Nely, a formerTelemundo executive, is don’t quit your day job.

Celebrity Contestants
Carol Alt - Model/actress
Jennie Finch - Olympic gold medalist, softball
Marilu Henner - Actress/author
Nadia Comaneci - Olympic gold medalist, gymnastics
Omarosa - Season one “The Apprentice” candidate
Tiffany Fallon - Playboy Playmate/Miss Georgia USA 2001
Nely Gala´n - Entrepreneur and former Telemundo executive
Piers Morgan - Editor/”America’s Got Talent” judge
Trace Adkins - Country music star
Gene Simmons - KISS front man /entrepreneur
Lennox Lewis - Heavyweight-boxing champion
Stephen Baldwin - Actor
Tito Ortiz - Ultimate fighting champion
Vincent Pastore – Actor

If you have the answer to my question, “Is anybody watching The Celebrity Apprentice?” let me know, because I have no idea. Or, maybe you want to weigh in on the show. Be my guest.

Paula’s charisma is undeniably contagious. The butter-loving, finger-licking, joke-cracking mother of down home cooking spent some time with Donny Deutsch on the Big Idea. She had tons of fun, I could tell by how many times she kissed Donny on the cheek when they were dancing. Her most memorable comment to Donny was, “I’d rather die with a potato in my mouth than a piece of lettuce.� Facing the stress of relocating, not seeing eye to eye with her husband, and raising her two sons, Paula started her at-home catering business. With $200 and a dream she was committed to doing whatever it took to make her business succeed. And even though it wasn’t easy, she was willing to work 16 hours a day.

Paula Deen shared a couple of her personal secrets to building a food fortune:
~ You’ve got to be willing to work when all of your friends are playing
~ Be stubborn (even if people tell you that you can’t do it)
~ Take it to the next level – don’t rest on your laurels, make whatever you are doing better. Paula added that she is never completely satisfied, she knows things can be better

Guess what Paula Deen is up to now?
~ A new line of packaged foods will be in Wal-Mart the first week in November 2007
~ Harrah’s Casino is opening a 650 seat “Paula Deen Buffet.�

Paula Deen’s final thoughts to Donny when he asked how she became such a big success:
“Necessity�
“Want�
“I needed to grow as a person.�
“I needed it to grow my children.��
“I like to eat.�

If you want to know the intimate details of her often bumpy road to fame and fortune, check out her new book “Paula Deen: It Ain’t All About the Cookin’.â€? And yes each chapter has incredible recopies like Chocolate-Dippy Doughnuts, and Courage Chili.

Welcome to Tuned Into Business: Entrepreneurs as seen on TV. Today is my first blog posting. The content is designed with YOU in mind. Especially if you have visions of being on TV and sharing your story with the world. As a TV producer and entrepreneur I feel uniquely qualified to delve into this juicy topic.

Nowadays there are lots of shows featuring successful entrepreneurs. Donald Trump made ‘reality TV history’ with “The Apprentice.� The show earned him incredible ratings. His clever product placement and fascinating cast of characters made him and them an overnight success. “You’re FIRED� became the mantra that people associate with the show. The now defunct show ran its course after the 6th season. As they say, “That’s show biz.�

Switching channels for a moment, queen of the billionaire girls club and media darling, Oprah Winfrey teamed up with QVC and the Next Big Idea was born. It featured entrepreneurs who competed with 6,000 others and appeared on her show, May 3, 2007. Along with celebrity judges and the audience a winner was chosen.

Undoubtedly these shows are great examples of what is possible when your dream comes true! It doesn’t matter if you are in search of inspiration, innovation or want to keep up with what’s going on, you’ve come to the right place.

Step 1 - Know what’s going on out there in TV land as it pertains to business and entrepreneurs.
Step 2 – Make being successful a habit. And come back to Tuned Into Business often to check out what’s new in the world of entrepreneurs on TV.

I will be reporting on many of the most exciting entrepreneurs on TV. If you are an entrepreneur or an entrepreneur in training you will get a birds-eye view of unique business ideas and how people have launched their million-dollar empires. How cool would it be to have a place where you could find out about the winning formula for million dollar businesses?

Let me know what shows you are watching and what you like about them. Also, if you have an interesting story please leave a comment below I’d love to know what you’re up to.

With gratitude and appreciation,
Michelle Anton